Charles m



(No Model.) J

G. M. LAMB.

WIRE FENCE.

No. 598,265. Patented Feb. 1. 1898.

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UNITED STATES FFICE.

ATEENT CHARLES M. LAMB, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE PAGE WOVENWIRE FENCE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

WIRE FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,265, dated February1, 1898. Application filed December 13,1897. Serial No. 661,690. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. LAMB,a citizen of the United States,residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Wire Fences, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in wire fences of the typeemploying vertical stay-wires for maintaining the strand-wires incorrect position, and more particularly to the joints of a fence of thisdescription.

My object is to provide a welded or autogenously-soldered joint, to theend that the wires shall be securely fixed in position and yet to makeprovision for a certain flexibility in the joint to permit the fence to.readily adapt itself to a change in ground slope.

A further object is to overcome the objectionable feature of weakenedwires at the joint incident to a welded joint as hitherto attempted.

Experiment has shown that when the staywires are welded directly to thestrand-wires (by electric welding, which is the practical way of weldingthe fence-wires) not only are both wires weakened by reason of a certainportion of each wire being melted or burned away, but thewelding-surface itself is so small that the joint is very easily broken.

Moreover, a fence thus constructed cannot be used at all except on levelground because of the rigidity of its joints, for when it is attemptedwith such a fence to change from a level to an incline the result isthat when the fence is subjected to the necessary stretching either thewires are bent and distorted or the joints give way. Toobviate thesedifficulties, I form a joint by combining with the strand and stay wiresat each joint'a short securing wire or strip which I term asupplementary stay-wire, and which is welded or autogenously soldered toone or both of the main wires of the fence, preferably to the mainstay-wire, as shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in elevation of a section of fenceinvolving my preferred construction; Figs. 2 and 3, views, on anenlarged scale, of one of the joints of the .wires is not great.

A is the fence-section, comprising strandwires 15, main stay-wires s,and supplemental stay-Wires 'r. In the preferred construction thesupplemental stay-wire is parallel to the main stay wire and weldedthereto at its ends, the strand-wire being first introduced between thetwo. The stay-wires are provided with suitable bays or sets-off at thejoints, as shown. The supplementary staywires are of sufficient lengthto afford enough welding-surface to produce a strong joint. Thestay-wires are confined within narrow limits against movementlongitudinally of the strand-wires by rings 1), fixed to thestrandwires. These rings may be welded to the strand-wires or they maybe held against moving by spelter applied thereto, since the tendency tomove longitudinally of the strand- The rings should allow a smalllatitude of movement of the main wires with relation to each other togive a slightlyflexible joint to permit the fence to be used on rollingground. Thus the stay-wires are allowed to remain practically verticalwhile the inclination of the strand-wires is varied.

The particular manner of twining the supplementary stay-wire about thejoint is. of

secondary importance. Some of the advantageous modifications are shownin Figs. 4: to 8, inclusive. It is obvious that it is within the spiritof my invention to employ a sup- It should be noted that two importantobjects are accomplished by my improvement: First, the joints may berendered flexible to any desired degree, depending upon the degree oflaxness of the supplemental stay-wire,

and, second, the joint may be given any desired degree of strength,since it is only necessary to lengthen the supplemental stay-wire toaccomplish this purpose, thereby increasing the welding-surface. Thethickness of wire also is rendered greater at the point of weldinginstead of being lessened, as suggested by a former method of producinga welded joint.

I desire to be understood as intending by the term Welded as used in theappended claims to cover any construction wherein the supplementarystay-wires are so joined to the fence-wiring as to form practically anintegral part of the wiring whether the joining be effected by ordinarywelding under pressure or by any other species of welding, includingthat commonly known as autogenous soldering that is to say, that it iswithin the spirit of my invention to employ supplementary stay-wires forproducing flexible joints, it being necessary, of course, that thestay-wires shall be so attached to the main fence wiring as to maintainthe wires in proper relationship at the joint within the limit offlexibility desired.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a wire fence comprising strand and stay wires, the combinationwith said wires at their junctions of supplementary stay-wires welded tothe fence-wiring adjacent to the junctions and forming part of thejoint, substantially as described.

2. In a wire fence comprising strand and stay Wires, the combinationwith said wires at their junctions, of supplementary stay-wires formingpart of the joints embracing said junctions and each welded at oneportion to one of the main stay-wires, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. In a wire fence comprising strand and stay Wires, the combinationwith said wires at CHARLES M. LAMB.

Witnesses:

J. H. LEE, R. T. SPENCER.

